CLEARED FOR ACTIONThe first thin layer of magic HODGE PODGE, has been applied.

In Modern Times,it is still September of 1940,and the 30th day.

Mr Triggles was very excited as the sluice gates of Hellesdon Water Mill,were raised sending a gentle wash of water downstream. He in fact jumped up into the air with the share thrill of it all, while clapping his hands madly.The pair of light blue gloves, that had been stretched up and wriggled onto every soft to touch finger and thumb seemed to bellow out a faint white dust cload. Yes these were stately gloves that could part crowds of people as good as Moses did the Red Sea! Old Jack although wealthy had never had to work in the whole of his life,but he did make hard work of communicating for he had a very bad stutter, and oddly it got worse when trying to speak to common folks.However here he was, having fun with Mrs Triggles who had especially turned the round thing a me jig that slowly raised those water gates, one, two and three! She two whore gloves,and both she in Pink and him in airforce blue including hat,were very well decked out in their best finery,but both looked very strange because they were wearing bicycle clips.As the Band played,and the people cheered and the river flowed it was time for them to depart the throng of it all while waving and nodding like some kind of weird wooden puppets. The Bike was a Tandem but that's another story how that came about.

By the time Jack the union man gets home on his speedy bicycle with Bess,the river should be in full flow,and thousands of fish would be returned to the Wensum the very next day.

Before the work started that dried up such mysterious waters as these,a weeks holiday had been given for all the children in the city, for the purpose of fishing out those fishes from the gleaming brown waters beneath their feet. Throughout those carefree days Teachers arrived with well drilled files of marching kids.

Some children mainly middle class boys had their Dads fishing rods,and maggots in special screw up tight tins. Others down the pecking order had bamboo canes with tied on rolled up fishing line attached,and crude homemade hooks made from twisted out of shape baby`s safety pins. Others had nets designed for pond dipping, but the most adventurous had jam jars tied around under their rims with white hairy string.One poor lad had a half a loaf of stale hard bread tied with several length of odd string. That stale bread floated iceberg-like and drifted under the old railway bridge that Peter has yet to see. As the small lad pulled it in and threw it back it seemed intent of floating like The Ark Royal. Throughout that sunny week in the beginning of September , fun was had by all, except for a Head Master who fell in the river never to be seen again. It was said that some within the multitude of children might well have helped him upon his way.

On their return to George White School,It was very sad for all the Teachers who burst into tears and cried rivers of salty seas,upon seeing the sight of Reginald`s unused whipping canes hanging from the Headmasters private whack-rack!

" BB,was often caned."__ " Poor boy."

To be Continued

It took a few minutes to brush a stipple to it,and hours to write Modern Times. "Very True!" " And days for you to read it." See you guys later BB

Using that white stuff first to do the river, means when it reaches that point of being a hard finish, i can throw scatter about having no fear of spoiling the water effect. All the other expensive stuff i used before on other samples remained sticky.

The large base was stood up on end so i could apply a wash to the simple sidings of the river.

"To the far left on that table more new plants for bases."

An acrylic wash! A little goes a long way . The sand weighs the yogurt pot down.

" Yah! BB, kept tipping it over."

The water effect is so thin it makes little difference when a wash goes on. There will be another layer of Hodge Podge Glue applied,i have loads of the stuff so no need to scrimp on the work. It means to economize, so there`s no need to be very frugal or sparing with it.

" I think BB,s got enough to do a layer on the English Channel!"Just a few more days more and it will be fun and game with that metal tea strainer and lots of static grass.

In the meantime my work so far on the statues of the Lion & Unicorn, that Mr & Mrs Triggles insist must be on show within the story line of `Modern Times'. It seems that The Plot Thickens!

Thank you Peter,and Gunnar, for commenting. At the offset of Modern times, i knew it would have to be weaved into the actual scratch building of many of the elements needed for display. Lets call it play, because this to me is what i love to do.

The cheap little toys painted will have a symbolic dominating role to play here . True they have need of a base, and that will come later. For now the simple conversion one of a pin, and the cheapest acrylic paint applied neat and undiluted with water.

Models are expensive,however such toys are well affordable as ones hand reaches into the pocket,and being used for statues the larger scale is perfect to use.

A whole great big tub full of animals for £1.99 ____that is what i like to term as generous indeed. BB